June 24, 1899. THE ESTATES GAZETTE 1086 gross value. Where public-houses, beerhouses and other licensed premises are held on an ordinary repairing lease, the rent reserved, together with a proportion of any structural outlay incurred by the lessee, and a proportion of half the premium, both proportions calculated in accordance with ‘Table B,’ with 10 per cent, added, shall be taken as indicating the gross value. Note.-—Where a license has been granted since the commencement of a holding, and no premium paid therefore, the increase in value shall be estimated, and in oases where houses are let by brewers or distillers to annual tenants, and no premium or other consideration is paid, the fact of a license being attached to the premises shall be taken into consideration, and the annual value shall be calculated at not less than the annual rent which would he given for it as a free house in arriving at the gross value.” THEATRES AND MUSIC HALLS. Mr. Walkley (Islington) moved:—“That theatres and music halls in respect of which :׳o direct rent is paid should he assessed upon the basis of percentage to he calculated upon the value of the land, structure and fittings, rather than upon their capacity or seating accommodation.” He said his reason for bringing the subject before the conference was that at present there was no uniformity in the mode of assessing theatres and music balls. He had had an appeal in a case in which, if he had taken the seating accommodation as a guide, the assessment would only have been l¿ per cent, upon the outlay, which surely would not have been right. There were two halls, for instance, one of which seated 1,192 persons, and was valued at £1,580 ; while the other seated only 950, and was valued at £2,060. He thought, if those places were assessed at• 3 per cent, on the land and 5 per cent, on the buildings, the case would he met. Mr. Bussey questioned whether any resolution on the subject was required. The conference had already passed a rule as to public buildings, as follows :—“That puiblic buildings (including workhouses, vestry halls, public libraries, schools, baths, washhouses, public conveniences and hospitals) should he assessed at a gross value, calculated at 4 per cent, on the present value of the land, and 5 per cent, on the value of the buildings erected thereon.” He thought that rule could be applied to theatres and music halls. The Chairman read a note which he had received from the valuer on the subject, in which that gentleman stated that, “looking at the special circumstances of properties of this class, ■and the special arrangements connected with their letting, a calculation based upon percentage on cost would not necessarily produce a fair assessment No tenant would give a rent for a theatre or music hall without first inquiring what were the probable receipts and outgoings, and therefore the valuer suggested that those properties should be assessed on a similar basis to that employed in the case of gasworks, hotels and railways.” It appeared +hat that course had been adopted in recent cases of suburban theatres. He (the chairman) did not see how Mr. Walkley’s proposal would work out. Mr. Tagg thought it would he most unfair to assess theatres and music halls on the same basis as public libraries. They ought to he dealt with on the same basis as public-houses, being licensed for the sale of intoxicants. The. only way to assess them properly was on their annual value, including the license, which was the most valuable asset, and without that the cost of land and buildings was no guide. A delegate saw no reason why theatres and music halls should not he rated on the same principles as other licensed property. Mr. Walkley supposed the conference would not think I¿ per cent, on the outlay a sufficient assessment. The Chairman said he should he very slow to believe that the rent payable by a tenant would onlv be 1J> per cent. Mr. Walkley said one particular hall was originally assessed at £400. Then it went up t-o £800. Then it was acquired by a syndicate, who had to pull down some property, and the valuation rose to £2,050, but the total outlay was onlv £1,500. The Chairman observed that the actual rent paid under some agreements was no test of value, hut what rent would he paid in the ordinary way of trade was the thing to consider. That was nractioallv an assessment on profits. They could only find out what was the value if the property to a tenant, with the license and everything included. A delegate pointed out that in this class of property there was often a large expenditure upon decoration!: sometimes nearly half the cost- went in decoration. It would he very hard to fix an absolute percentage in such cases, and it would he much better to leave a discretionary •nower to the various localities, as to what the buildings should he worth from year to year, and what tenants would give for them. The motion was then put, and was rejected bv a considerable majority, and the conference adjourned. NEW RATING PROPOSALS. The conference of the Local Government and Taxation Committee of the London County Council with representatives of the metropolitan rating authorities, to consider various questions of assessment in view of the approaching quinquennial valuation, was resumed at the County Hall, Spring-gardens, on Monday. Mr. Costelloe, L.C.C., occupied the chair, and there was a fairly good attendance of councillor® and delegates. ABATEMENT TO BATED OWNERS. Mr. Preston (St. Luke’s) moved a resolution in favour of reducing the abatement allowed to rated owners from 15 to 5 per cent. He argued that owners undertaking to compound for the rates were only entitled, under the Act of 1869, to a fair commission covering the cost of collection, and that the percentages at present paid by many parishes were far too high. He therefore asked the conference to petition Parliament for the amendment of section 4 of the Act in the direction indicated. Mr. Bussey (Poplar) moved, as an amendment, that any abatement allowed to rated owners for collection and compounding should be taken from the rateable value. The present system was most unfair to the poorer parishes, half of whose rateable value perhaps consisted of weekly property for which the rates were compounded. In order to make these large allowances to owners, the rates had to he increased, and the parishes had to contribute to the common fund on a large amount of rateable value from which they derived no benefit. It was, therefore, only right that the rateable value should be reduced by an amount corresponding to the owner’s allowances. The Chairman pointed out that the amendment involved large consequences. If the parishes who made these large and even extravagant allowances were to be allowed to put them upon the common fund, other parishes would have to make up the deficiency. In his opinion the Act of 1869 (Poor Bate Assessment and Collection Act), was in many respects an unfortunate Act, and these allowances to owners of small property were sometimes a scandal and a fraud upon the shopkeepers and other ratepayers, who had to hear the burden of the increased rates. It was a monstrous thing that the compounding owner should have an abatement of 15 per cent, for merely writing his cheque. He sympathised with Mr. Preston’s motion, and had no doubt that if the matter were favourably placed before the Legislature the besom of reform ■would soon sweep away those large allowances. To his mind 2¿ per cent, would he a sufficient abatement. A delegate pointed out that the compounding owner must pay the rates, even if he lost his rent. He stood, therefore, a certain amount of risk. Mr. Bussey: There is also the cost of a weekly collection. The Chairman admitted that those circumstances might justify 5 per cent., hut they certainly did not justify 15 per cent. (Hear, hear). There was undoubtedly a strong call, in the interest of the public, for an amendment of the Act, hut Mr. Bussey’s proposal to throw the cost of collection and similar leakages upon the common fund was.a revolutionary one. Mr. Bussey: We desire to see a revolution in many ways. Why should the poorer districts be made to pay more because they are poor? Mr. Tagg (Camberwell) said he could not support the amendment. He was in favour of abolishing section 4 of the Act altogether. Mr. Adams (Shoreditch) suggested that the Government should be asked to take the whole question of owners’ allowances into consideration, and after some further discussion an amendment to that effect was adopted by the conference. ASSESSMENT OF LICENSED PREMISES. Mr. Andrew Young, valuer to the Council, submitted a special report on the value of agreements and leases for a term, with reference to the percentage adopted in preparing “Table A,” which has for the last ten years been adopted in dealing with licensed premises. The conference adopted Mr. Young’s new tables for general use, and his extended actuarial calculation, on a 5 per cent, basis, for use in regard to licensed premises. The rules for assessing such premises were adopted as follow, and headed “Table B” :—“In the case o£ freehold public-houses, beerhouses and other licensed premises, 4 per cent, on the present value of the land, together with 6 per cent, on the present value of the building, shall be taken as the rent, and that, together with 5 per cent on half the premium which would he given for the premises and business subject to such rent, shall he taken as indicating the gross value. In the case of public-houses, beerhouses and other licensed premises, held on building lease, the ground rent, together with 6 per cent. 00 the present value of the building, shall he taken as the rent, and that, together with 5 per cent, calculated on the basis of ‘Table B’ on half the premium which would he given for the premises and business, shall he taken as indicating the BIRMINGHAM. GRIMLEY & SON, F.S.I., Auctioneers. Surveyors and Estate Agents. The Estate of John Abraham, Esq:•, deceased. NORTHFIELB, about five miles from Birmingham.— An important FREEHOLD RESIDENTIAL and BUILDING ESTATE, comprising a most substantially-built and handsome medium-sized Mansion House, kno.wn as the Woodlands, including 27a. 2r. 13p. of pleasure grounds and old turf land, and a highly valuable Building Estate of about 195 acres, formerly known as Middleton Hall Farm, Hay Green Farm and the Hole Farm, through which a new road, called Woodlands-park-road׳, has recently been constructed in accordance with the requirements of the local authorities, including two good residences and 12 cottages, which will he offered in advantageous lots.—To be Sold by Auction (by direction of the Executors of the late John Abraham, Esq.), DY MESSRS. GRIMLEY an